The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-17
ALITTLE GIRL IN DIXIE
Hiding in a Cellar 10 Escape the
Bullets.
nyAD,r. STRICKLAND, owrSsyrLLE, rsD.

ny ADA r. STRICKLAND, owENsvILLE, IND.
II.
Only few days after my father left US we
We're compelled 20 look upon the worst sight
cur eyes witnessed during the whole war The
memory oi which even now makes me faint
and ,ck. There had been bridge burned
somewhere ON the Last Tennessee * Virginia
Railroad that was very important to the Con-
irayrlicS, and IN searching for the guilty
IaTtc, they ran across two poor Union men,
who were hiding Just as my papa had been.
For want Ot other victims they dragged them 20
GrccuyiIle for an those things / ann writing
happened i'm the home Of Andrew Johnson
and there they were tried by what they called
"drum-hcal court-martial' This was really 40
trial at az, but they were sentenced % he
hanged at ujghtfll upon tree that stood close
10 the railroad, and IN plain view from our
front door. Their names, il / remember rightly,
wcrr lieusie and Fry.
All, what a sight that was that greeted my
childish eyes iu tine early morning lIEbt-thosc
two poor, Ignorant, innocent IUcH, whose only
crime WAS their love for their country, turning
slowly IN the breeze, the dew gIIstcuIng on tho
caps drawn over their faces. There was
a HORRIBLE FASCINATION
in the scene. Mamma tried IN vain 90 turn my
attention elsewhere. / could only stand aud
gaze m silent agony which was not lcsScned
hy the brutal speech of one Ul two soldiers who
passed the gate as we stood there:
There is room yet ola that tree for your
husband. madam
Mamma answer was quick and CHARACTERISTIC:
Catching before hanging gentlemen - but
| saw her check turn pale and knew what a
pan- there WAS nj her heart
Ii was ordered that they should remain hang
ing Il hours and that the railroad train should
. III fl1Yf egI.fFfv= TUgrITf glr
every iudluuity 10 the bodies; but while their
wives were pleading 10 Gen lgJdhgtteT's feet
for the bodies of thrir dead, a telegram was
handed u.m telling him OF the death oi his
wife in distant State. lie Immediately ordered
the bodies taken down and delivered To the
widows who took them away and buried them.
To some ni us the death OF the Generals wife
seemed like "a swift rctribut.ou.
There had been q band oi Indians Campct
near town Tor some time, but that morning they
had disappeared, aud IL WAS reported that they
had been 500. ont tnscrur jhr mountains Tor tine
mis- iug Union men. or liucoiu.tcs as they
called them. They returned after q few days,
declaring that they had left the men dead ou
tb. mountains. but some way we didn't be-
licvc this, ANA "a lgw days altor wc received the
welcome news by that mysterious under
ground railway tHat after ii terrible day and
nights ou JHc road, hiding iu the tAicSeis by
day and -,g-liug cautiously on their way at
night after
MANY HNIEEEEADrH ESCAPES
/ they had SO last reached Bowling Green, Ky
/ the nearest point where there We're Union
forces IIcra The most Of them culi ted 10 once
4 in the Union army, hut my father could not
/ lc received ON account Of age and physical dis
ability. lie weighed over 2uD pounds, and
none of the wou vino started wi il him on that
Terleus trip expected % see him get through
alive. lie wa It once sent ou SpcaSug tour
through the West.
Iiut IL IS of our lives who were left behind
that have to tell. About this time the siege
was raised at Knoxville, aud the Union sol
digrs were pushing their way rapidly into th,
\ mountains. SO for q while our little town be
Z came a Ygrtabie " dehafablu land. " We ucVet
knew under which fag we would rise ot Z
morning and very often the sharp crack of :
rife would be the signal for general skirmish
in which bullets would fly around so rocklcssly
that we would be obliged to retreat TO the Gel
lar in hurry.
once a spent ball shut the cellar door IL
mamma's face and another time bullet tool
off the limb of tree above her head, as shr
started for the cellar. Another time, after W
were all safely inside, rs we thought auC
could hear the bullets singing outside, there
was quite panic when II was found that
sly LITTLE BROTHER.
only two years old was missing. Mamma pu
arms, and was rushing wildly for the door
when a small voice from one of the darkeS
corners of the cellar piped out. " Here's me.
Sure enough. there was me" on a pile Of 20
tatUcs lie had been the first TO enter the Gel
lar and after that it was quite funny to see hi
short legs strike bee-line for the cellar when
ever he heard gun.
Thus our days were passed, varied now an,
then 10y visit from soldiers on a search tO
arms, which always ended with a laugh owe
the old shotgun, without a lock- that mamm
handed out To them. It was always give
back 10 her " to shoot chickens WITH" Will
papa's fine rifle and shotgun rep05ed securcl
in the back part Of the piano
Once a big Alabamian laid his hand on tn
instrument and said, Mebbe they're in thi
here thing"
, / shall never forget mammals look of scor
as she glanced at him and said. why, that's
piano." OF course, the others had a goo
laugh ut his ignorance and went on.
Sometimes we had enough to eat, and some
times we hadn't. One night, when we ha
but - pounds Of flour in the house, a sOldie
arrived with an order for just that amount {
be baked into biscuits. There was no help fC
il. Ii had TO be done, and We went suppcrles
! to bed.
I One great want was salt, and people reall
, suffered until they hit upon the expedent
digging up the floors of their smoke houses
, where meat had been hung for years, boilin
I down the dirt and evaporating it, until n to
, erably fair article of salt was obtained. Thin
Of that, you little girls, who can buy as niue
. salt rs YOU can carry home for nickel.
: Another great want 10 some people was co
fee After the first year of the blockade th'
, article sold for $3.50 pound, and after Will
! could not be had at all. Then
VARIOUS SUBSTITUTES WERE TRIED.
Sweet potatoes cut into dice We're parched
Z the oven; dried apples treated the same way
parched rye parched wheat and meal, each W;
7 pronounced in turn very good coffee. | use
10 look on aud be glad didn't like coffee.
Shoes were made of the soles Of old shoes. an
"uppers" of any kind OF cloth. EverybOdyeI
$ gagged in the cObbling business. A neighbO
afterward a Judge on the Supreme Bencl
T made my little brother n pair of shoes out of
9 pair his wife had thrown away. This san
gentleman found an old pair Of boots, or I'll
G tops of them, in his office, and paid $40 to hay
c them footed.
n And had Just the funniest bonnet wish
o had it now 1t was woven by an old colorC
n woman out of wheat-straw and carpet chai
S The crown and skirt were Of an old brown val
| 1t was quite a stylish affair, can tell you.
L Once in awhile a vessel would run the blOcl
r ade. and those who had money could buy VIII
!. they wanted. In this way one neighbOr wi
! was determined to be stylish OF die got a sill
Q dress. for which she paid 81 200. Our fren
g the Judge bought his wife aud daughters calit
i dress apiece, for which he paid 5000. We col
Is tented ourselves with buying little real coffe
y n package of baking soda at % "a pound, and
II spool or two Of thread at